Roundabout seesaw



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Avv-otzNEYS Aug. 14, 1951 A. J. BOUCHARD T Al.

ROUNDABOUT SEESAW Filed March 29, 1947 Aug. 14, 1951 A. .1. BOUCHARD r-:T A1.

ROUNDABOUT SEESAW 2 Sheecs-Shee 2 Filed March 29, 1947 INUENTOES ATTO ENEVS Patented ug. 14, 1951 Y omer.

ROUNDABoirr SEE-SAW Arthur J Bouchard and Edward B. Bouchard,

l Milwaukee, Wis.

ApplicatilonMarch 29, 1947, Serial No. '738,024

8 Claims.

Our invention relates to improvements in teeter-totters.

Objects of our invention are to provide a teetertotter which may also safely'be used as ya merryygo-round; to provide playground apparatus -of the teeter-totter type, the principal parts of which can be made of light weight commercially available tubing, to not only facilitate transportation but to minimize danger of injury to children struck by moving parts; to provide means to facilitate assembly, disassembly, and storage; to provide an improved rotary lsupport for a teeter-totter whereby it may also be used as a merry-go-round; to provide improved means for balancing the loads imposed by children of differing weights; to provide means for securely clamping the tilting beam in any of the various adjustments made to secure such balance; and, in general, to provide a teeter-totter and merrygo-reu-nd with which vchildren of tender age can play without danger of injury.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of our improved teeter-totter as it appears when assembled 'for use.

Figure 2 is asectional view drawn to line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detail of one end portion of one of the teetering tubes, showing the same partly in elevation and partly in section.

Figure 4 is a sectional view drawn to Yline 4--4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a modified tripod and a detached portion of a fragment of a modified beam.

Figure 6 is an elevational sectional detail of theV head of the tripod and a fragment of the beam shown in AFigure 5.

Figure '7 is a detail view of the post and a fragment of the beam, drawn to line '1 -'I of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is an elevational sectional view of a further modification of the post and beam.

Like parts are identied by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

In Figure 1, a pair of spaced beam members I0 of circular cross section, and preferably comprising tubes of aluminum alloy, form a teetering beam in substitution for the wooden plank ordinariiy used. The ends of these tubes I0 are connected by seats II secured to the tubes by bolts I2. Cross tubes I3 are connected to the tubes I0 by bolts I4 and have end caps of soft material I5, such as rubber. Cross tubes I3 serve as hand holds.

The central portions of the tubes .'l areiadjustably connected with a pivot rod I3 by clamping straps 20, each having its parallel end portions 2| apertured and secured to one end of the pivot rod [3 by a thumb screw 22, lock washers 23 being preferably employed.

The clamping straps 20 are preferably formed of steel or equivalent resilient material, and each strap embraces one of the tubes I in clamping engagement therewith when its end portions are brought into parallelism by the .pressure cf the thumb screws 22. When the thumb screws are loosened, the clamping pressure on the tubes Ill is relieved `and the latter may be adjusted longitudinally in correspondence with theloads carried by the respective seats, after which the thumb screws are again adjusted to clamping position to maintain the adjustment during teetering operations.

The pivot rod I8 is mounted Ato rotate upon its horizontal axis in a pivot post 26, which is also mounted to `rotate about itsV vertical axis, .its lo'wer end 21 being reduced 'and socketed for such rotation in a supporting head'block 28. This head block is mounted on any suitable vxed 'support, such, 'for example, 'as the spreading tubes 29 of the tripod shown in Figure 1. Each of. the tubes 2Q ofthe tripod are socketed in the head block 28, and all three of them are secured thereto by a single locking screw, 32, as best shown in Figure 4. The head block 28 is also provided with a set screw 33, .the inner end of which enters a groove 34 in the portion 21 of the rotary post 26and may enter a socket to lock the post against rotation and prevent use of the mechanism as a 'merry-go-round. A similar set screw 35 may be screwed into the Ytop of .a post 26 with its inner end entered in an annular groove 36 formed in the pivot rod I8 to .hold the latter against axial sliding movement in the pivot post.

For transportation or storage, the tubes 29 of the tripod may be released from the head block 28 by retracting the set screw 32. Thereupon these tubes 29 may be assembled in parallel relation to the beam tubes I0, and the cross tubes I5 may also be unbolted and assembled in the same relation. While it is also possible to remove the seats and disengage the beam rods I0 from the pivot pin I8 by removing the thumb screws 22, this will not ordinarily be required to be done unless some special part requires replacement.

Whenever the device has been set up for use at any place of installation, no readjustments will thereafter be required except to loosen thumb screws 22 and slide the beam rods I0 in the clamping straps 2U to balance the load. A change of balance will, of course, be required whenever the relative weights of the occupants of the seats changes. This can be quickly accomplished by loosening the set screws, adjusting the beam tubes Ill, and again tightening the set screws to clamp the straps 20 upon those tubes.

In the modification illustrated in Figures 5, 6, and 7, the tripod head |26 is provided with a rotative forked post |26 and the fork arms are connected by a pivot pin H8. The teeter beam |||l comprises a T-shaped bar having its vertical flange 45 provided with notches 46, each adapted t receive the pivot pin I I8 when in registry therewith. The flange 45 of the teeter beam I l0 snugly flts the space between the fork arms of the post |26.

The reduced lower end portion |21 of the pivot post is socketed at |34 to when the latter is adjusted to lock the post against rotation. It is desirable to thus anchor the post 26 (Figures 1 and 2) on the post |26 (Figures 5, 6 and 7), when the device is to be Y used as a teeter-totter by small chlidren or children that show a disposition to be reckless when using the device as a merry-go-round.

In Figure 8 have illustrated a pivot post 226 which has a cross pin 2|8 having reduced end portions 50 to be engaged by notched portions f of a channel bar 2|0 which may serve as a teeter beam.

We claim:

l. A combination teeter-totter and merry-goround, including a suitable support provided with a pivot post rotatable on a vertical axis, a pivot pin mounted on the post for oscillation about a horizontal axis, and a teeter beam comprising a set of laterally spaced members and clamping means externally embracing the respective members and connected to the ends of said pin for intermediately connecting said members to the ends of said pivot pin.

2. The combination set forth in claim l, in which said support comprises a tripod having a head piece in which the pivot post is rotatably socketed.

3. The combination set forth in claim l, in which the beam members are slidingly adjustable relative to the support when the clamping pressure is relieved.

4. The combination set forth in claim 1, in which the beam comprises light metal tubing having seats and cross bar hand holds at their respective end portions.

5. The combination set forth in claim l, in which the support is a tripod comprising convergent tubes having a head piece in which their upper ends are socketed, and a set screw substanreceive the set screw |33 4 tially aligned with the post and engaged with the upper ends of the tripod tubes to simultaneously lock them to the head piece.

6. The combination set forth in claim 1, in which the beam comprises spaced tubular` members of light weight material, adjustable longitudinally with reference to said clamping means to balance the loads applied to the ends thereof.

7. In a device of the described class, the combination with a support of a substantially horizontal pivot pin mounted thereon, a set of teeter beam members of circular cross section, clamping straps of resilient metal encircling the beam members and having parallel end portions apertured to receive pressure applying screws, and pressure applying screws threaded into the ends of the pivot pin and adapted to apply pressure to the end portions of the straps to clamp the beam members to the pivot pin in various positions of longitudinal adjustment with reference to their pivotal connection.

8. In a device of the described class, a teeter board support comprising the combination with a head piece of a set of upwardly convergent legs having their upper ends socketed in the head piece, and a set screw threaded into the head piece, said set screw being centrally disposed between said legs and directed toward the point to which said legs are convergent, the head piece having a threaded socket for said set screw and intersecting sockets for said legs, whereby the end of the set screw is extended into the leg sockets and engageable with the upper ends of said legs to simultaneously lock them to the head piece.

ARTHUR J. BOUCHARD.

EDWARD B. BOUCHARD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 196,753 Hawthorne Nov. 6, 1877 666,992 Wright Jan. 29, 1901 1,344,725 Senseman et al June 29, 1920 1,426,082 Cramer et al Aug. 15, 1922 1,434,850 Smith Nov. 7, 1922 1,672,754 De Lisle June 5, 1928 2,066,736 Muse Jan. 5, 1937 2,166,258 Matrat July 18, 1939 2,222,119 Overholt Nov. 19, 1940 2,433,735 Buczkowski Dec. 30, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 287,057 Great Britain Oct. 25, 1928 

